The change is recorded in the European Commission's table of recognised travel documents. Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg no longer recognise ordinary, diplomatic and service passports without a chip; Sweden no longer recognises ordinary ones.
Where a passport without a chip is not accepted
Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Finland, Sweden and Iceland. France makes an exception for children under 15.
Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Hungary, Malta, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein still recognise it.
If the visa is already in the old passport
For Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg a visa in a passport without a chip is valid until 31 December 2026 at the latest. Sweden admits until 31 December 2026 travellers whose visa or residence permit was issued before 1 October 2026.
Why it matters even if you travel elsewhere
Under the Visa Code, when not every state recognises the applicant's passport, the visa is valid only for the states that do. A visa issued by Italy, Spain, Greece or Hungary in a passport without a chip does not let you into the fifteen states on the list.
What to do: get the ten-year passport with a chip before you apply for a Schengen visa. If the visa is already in the old passport, check your route — including connections in Amsterdam, Brussels and Stockholm.